Throughout the day, there will be a comprehensive selection of artisan food and wines from Michigan with lavish appetizers of local ingredients prepared by Shiraz Executive Chef Travis Waynick. Winemakers from the Leelanau Peninsula and all around the state will be on hand to discuss their wines and provide additional information about their winery operations.

From 12:30-3:30 PM, the Showcase will be open to restaurant, retailer and distributor staff (contact Madeline Triffon at Shiraz for admission & info: 248-645-5289.) and from 6-8:30 PM, it will be open to the general public for $40 per person at the door. Members of the media are invited to attend any part of the Showcase at no charge.

Leelanau wineries in attendance will include Bel Lago Vineyards, Black Star Farms, Chateau Fontaine, Ciccone Vineyards, Circa Estate Winery, Gill's Pier, Good Harbor Vineyards, L. Mawby and Shady Lane Cellars.

Photo Credit: Untitled by Emery Co Photo

“Art from Wine Country” will be a feast for the senses bringing together some of the best that Leelanau County has to offer; art, wine, and food. It’s all for a good cause. Part of the proceeds from admissions and sale of artwork will go to the Glen Arbor Art Association for class scholarships and an after school art program.

The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor will host “Art from Wine Country” in the beautiful Mountain Flowers Lodge on Friday, February 5 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. This event will kick off the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association’s “Taste the Passion” weekend and features art and wine from Leelanau County paired with fabulous tapas by The Homestead’s Chef John Piombo.

The Glen Arbor Art Association is organizing the invitational art exhibit. Some of the artists who will have artwork on display are GAAA members Jane Batteiger, Beth Bricker, Harvey Gordon, Kristin Hurlin, and Ken Peterson. The artists will be on hand and their work will be for sale. This is a good opportunity to meet them and talk with them about their work – a great night to celebrate a perfect pairing of wine and art.

Last year this event raised $350 all of which was used to provide scholarship assistance for those who could not otherwise afford art classes. Each year many children are benefited by the GAAA’s scholarship program and after school art classes. There is a display wall at the GAAA for children’s artwork and on it is a poster that says, “Art is a place kids travel to where they feel good about themselves. Keep their passports current.” Please join us at The Homestead on Friday, February 5 to help make this happen.

An entrance fee of $20 per person includes tickets for two glasses of wine and food from multiple food stations. Additional wine tickets are available for purchase ($4/ticket or 3 tickets for $10). Parking is available in the Homestead’s Village parking lot.

Photo credit: -75 by Emery Co Photo

A new star is born. Black Star Farms, already well known for its award-winning wines and cheeses, is now serving dinner in Hearth & Vine, a vineyard café, at the Suttons Bay farm featuring wood-fired fare in a rustic yet elegant atmosphere, The weekly menu draws on ingredients produced on the farm, including pork and lamb, fresh eggs, 9 Bean Rows hoop house vegetables and hearth baked breads, and of course, Leelanau Cheese Co. cheeses and Black Star Farms wines. It’s truly a celebration of agriculture.

Hearth and Vine is now open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. Seating is limited and reservations are appreciated. For reservations, please call 231.944.1297

From late spring through fall, Hearth & Vine is open daily serving delicious wood-fired pizzas and sandwiches as well as soups and salads. Black Star Farms wine is available by the glass or bottle along with soft drinks, coffee and tea. Lunch and snacks can be enjoyed out on the terrace or indoors in the cozy cafe.

On the market side we’re all about local. Black Star Farms farm-fresh eggs and fruits and vegetables from our and neighboring farms are offered seasonally. Pastries, cookies and 9 Bean Rows hearth-baked breads, Black Star Farms maple syrup, verjus and kettle cooked jams and preserves, and the best of other locally produced items are also available.

Black Star Farms is a unique agricultural entity that features two winery production facilities, their adjacent tasting rooms, a distillery, Inn, café, and equestrian facility. We just celebrated our 10th anniversary and are proud to represent the viticultural diversity of Northwest Michigan and its proximity to the 45th parallel that runs through so many of the great wine regions of the world.

Social media is changing the Michigan wine landscape. Michigan By the Bottle is teaming up with Black Star Farms for the state's first virtual wine tasting conducted through Twitter. Tweet & Taste Michigan will be held on March 8, 2010 at 8pm.

Michigan wine fans are invited to log onto their computers and participate as we taste through a flight of wines, selected by Black Star Farms winemaker Lee Lutes. Along with myself, featured participants include Lutes, Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi (winegenie@Twitter), wine educator Bill Wilson (WineforNewbies.net), George Heritier and Kim Adams (Blogs.GangofPour.com), Mike Fifer (TheWineMonologues.com), Chris Ternes (TheWineauxs.com), and Joel Goldberg (MichWine.com).

We will be tasting 2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling, 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir, and 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay. Participants can pick up the wines at their local wine shop or order online at BlackStarFarms.com. Black Star Farms is offering $.01 shipping between Feb. 23 – March 9 to business addresses to encourage participation.

During the event, participants will log onto Twitter and search using #ttmi, the Tweet & Taste Michigan hashtag. As the facilitators and winemaker taste through the wines, users can share impressions and ask questions, by adding the #ttmi hashtag to every tweet to ensure everyone participating sees it.

The event, which I will be expanding in future months to include other Michigan wineries, is designed to encourage wine lovers and newbies from throughout the state and beyond to sample a little of what Michigan's wine regions have to offer.

Full details of the event can be found on www.TweetAndTasteMichigan.com.

Shannon Casey is the publisher of MichiganByTheBottle.com, a blog that features original content like tasting notes, articles, in-depth winery video features and weekly video podcasts, as well as links to news stories on Michigan wine from across the Web. The site’s purpose is to educate consumers on the state’s presence in the wine industry, expose hidden gems right in residents’ own backyards and underscore the value of buying local.

Photo: Belly Up by photoshoparama

“This is a great time for families and friends to gather to celebrate the upcoming season and even get started on their holiday shopping,” says Adam Satchwell of Shady Lane Cellars. “Wines and other items from Leelanau Peninsula tasting rooms are the perfect gift for the holidays. Our wines compliment holiday meals, cocktail parties or any gathering and they make great gifts!”

A statistic to keep in mind while shopping for holiday gifts and planning get-togethers is that if every Michigan resident increased their weekly purchase of local products by $10.00, it would keep $37 million circulating in the Michigan economy each week.

Some of this year's offerings include:

Bel Lago

New this year they offer gift certificates for those hard to shop for friends and relatives. Want to take a bottle home in your suitcase? They have Bottle Skins- wine bottle-size bubblewrap bags that double seal. Your wine will be cushioned and your clothes will be protected!

They offer free gift wrapping for your purchases. All tasting is complimentary. And they are open 12-5 everyday except December 24, 25, and 31. Visit them online or cal (231) 228-4800

L. Mawby

They offer gift certificates in any amount, have a wine club named Fizz and have an online store featuring an assortment of accoutrements.

Vist the L. Mawby website or call them at (231) 271-3522

Leelanau Wine Cellars

Has gift certificates available in any amount. Visit them online or call them at (231) 386-5201.

Gill's Pier

Shipping on all wine shipments in Michigan for the months of December and January for only 5 cents! Visit them online or call them at (231) 256-7003.

Black Star Farms

Black Star Farms has their ice wine on sale for $79.50 regular price $92.50. Visit their online store for wine and other merchandise or call them at (231) 944-1270.

Shady Lane Cellars

The Holiday Season is in full swing so don't overlook that wine-lover on your list. Or better yet treat yourself to some much deserved savings on Shady Lane wines. To help with those savings they are offering 1 penny FedEx ground shipping in Michigan, Florida, and Minnesota until the end of the year. Contact our Tasting Room to place your order or call them at (231) 947-8865.

 Have a safe and happy holiday season from all of us here at Shady Lane Cellars

Some of their specials include:

2007 Riesling Package $24-Save $6
Two great Rieslings, One great price. Our Semi-Dry is full of lush apricot and honey while our Dry, yes it's bone Dry, offers a beautiful citrus minerality. Both wines pair perfectly with a wide range of Holiday fare.

2006 Pinot Noir Package $38-Save $10
If you are looking for that perfect Red wine for your Holiday dinner, look no further than Pinot Noir. This pair of Pinots were separated in the vineyard and the result is astounding. Our Pinot Noir is lush and elegant while the Reserve is earthy and powerful.

2006 Late Harvest Vignoles $22 (375ml)-Save $6
Why wash down all of those time-honored desserts you look forward to all year with anything but the perfect wine. Our Late Harvest Vignoles has a symmetry unlike other dessert wines. A harmonious union of fruit, sugar, and acid complements any of your after dinner treats.

Silver Leaf Vineyard

Silver Leaf Vineyard is offering Holiday Specials on all of their wines.

• Buy 2 bottles of any kind and any additional bottles at 30% off retail price.

Join the Silver Leaf Case Discount Club

Sign up to get a case discount of 30% off retail price.

Send them your name, address, telephone number and email address to info@silverleafvineyard.com

When 10 or more customers sign up they'll send you a coupon for 30% off retail prices. (Case orders only.) Cases can be mixed or matched. Orders will be taken over the telephone. You can use your coupon at a later date when visiting our winery or we'll ship it to you (Michigan only, cost plus shipping). ]]> http://www.lpwines.com/wine/holiday-shopping-specials-from-the-lpva-wineries/feed/ 0 http://www.lpwines.com/wine/tasting-leelanau-wine-experts-visit-some-lpva-wineries/ http://www.lpwines.com/wine/tasting-leelanau-wine-experts-visit-some-lpva-wineries/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:17:13 +0000 lpwines http://www.lpwines.com/wine/?p=1190 In November, Master Sommelier Claudia Tyagi, retired engineer and avid wine aficionado David Rusnell, and Kim Adams and George Heritier of Gang of Pour visited the Leelanau Peninsula to taste at a number of our wineries. In the first post of a fantastic series, George begins:

Picture driving back roads through the hills of the Leelanau Peninsula in a bright red, souped-up Dodge Charger for three days, with weather more beautiful than anyone has a right to expect in mid-November, bouncing from winery to winery and tasting some of the very best wines the appellation has to offer, and you’ll get some idea of what our adventure in northern Michigan was like last month.

Click through to Gang of Pour to read their tasting notes and perceptions about the wines and the region. To check out the videos, start with the one below and then use the related ones at the end or click to gang of pour on YouTube!
Photo by Kim Adams: David Rusnell,Claudia Tyagi, George Heritier & Charlie Edson at Bel Lago.

At just $15 for a lifetime membership, you can’t beat the price for this unique gift for the Michigan wine lovers on your list. Vintage Michigan members receive discounts on their purchase of Michigan wines at wineries, retailers and restaurants throughout the state. They also receive a quality Michigan Wines corkscrew or Michigan bottle stopper as their free gift when you sign them up.

Want to be more creative? Put together a Michigan wine-themed basket, with a bottle or two of your favorite Michigan wines, a couple of glasses and a Vintage Michigan membership tucked in.

Visit www.michiganwines.com for more information about the Vintage Michigan club and to purchase a membership online, or contact the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council at (517) 241-4468.

Photo credit: Heightened Senses [Dennis]

Pinot Noir’s alluring spectrum of flavors and potential to be drank young or aged for decades elicits the obsession of winemakers, collectors and casual drinkers all. Pinot favors cooler climates and mineral-rich soils, which allows it to thrive in the vineyards of Leelanau County and Old Mission, delivering a delicious complexity unique to our land. Look to some of our fine local pinots for a versatility that accompanies the many flavors of autumn.

Check out his review of the Pinot Noirs on MyNorth.com.

I found out this past weekend that you don't have to know a lot about wine to enjoy it. For an adult getaway mini vacation my husband and I, my two brothers and their wives took off to beautiful upper Michigan to the Traverse City Bay area and surrounding Leelanau Peninsula. This is known as the wine touring destination with many award winning wines to taste in addition to the spectacular views of Grand Traverse Bay.

With a choice of 17 wineries to choose from, a casino, and the most beautiful scenery put on this earth, we were truly looking forward to a fantastic trip.

Read the entire post "Follow the Wine Trail of Grand Traverse Bay"

Photo credit: Ciconne Vineyards by artsy_T

Black Star Farms is a popular agricultural destination located on the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan. Our Winery and Distillery produce some of the best Michigan wines and spirits. Our luxurious B&B Inn is the perfect place to host private special events including weddings, corporate retreats, and family celebrations. Artisanal cheese and a café/farm market round out our Suttons Bay site.

We are excited to announce "LPVA Second Fridays" that offer you a chance to experience our award-winning wines and unique tasting rooms after hours on the second Friday night of every month. These special evenings will be held from 5-8 PM and each will feature a fun & unique theme.

Friday, August 14th come celebrate the Dog Days of Summer: We'll have outside fun for your 4 footed friend and hot deals in our tasting rooms.

Join us for a BBQ on the back deck* at the Inn at Black Star Farms. Enjoy some of Chefs Corey and Street's amazing BBQ creations using Black Star Farms' home-grown delights while listening to the local talent of the Blue Dirt Band.

$15/per person includes food and cover
Cash wine bar will be available

* in case of rain, the event will take place in the Aquarius event room located inside the Inn.

For more information call 231-944-1251

Event will happen every third Tuesday of the month so stay tuned!

"We think that our Second Fridays will give folks in the area a chance to have a little fun at the end of the work week by visiting their friendly local wineries," said Larry Mawby. "Leelanau is a short drive from Traverse City, so pop on out!"

Ciccone Vineyards Tasting Room Manager Jaclyn Eikey added "This is not business as usual – I think we're all looking forward to creating an exclusive opportunity for intimate evenings at our tasting rooms. We have so much variety that I know everyone will find something new & fun!"

The schedule and list of participating wineries for the next several months is:

Friday, July 10th come and taste the "Fruits of Leelanau": Leelanau County produces some of the finest fruit in the world and this night will provide a showcase for our wines, meads and ciders.

Participating wineries are:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Ciccone Vineyard & Winery
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders

Friday, August 14th come celebrate the Dog Days of Summer: We'll have outside fun for your 4 footed friend and hot deals in our tasting rooms.

Friday, September 11th sail with the Pirates of the Peninsula: Celebrate the Maritime Heritage Alliance's Inaugural Michigan Schooner Festival and hunt for treasure all day long on the Leelanau Peninsula.

This very special night in the series, "Premium Pour", takes place Friday, June 12th – the night before the popular Leland Wine Festival. It's called "Premium Pour" because it gives you a chance to tune up your palate with some top shelf and library wines from Leelanau wineries.

Wineries participating in "Premium Pour" include:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau de Leelanau
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders
• Willow Vineyard

"We think that our Second Fridays will give folks in the area a chance to have a little fun at the end of the work week by visiting their friendly local wineries," said Larry Mawby. "Leelanau is a short drive from Traverse City, so pop on out!"

About the Leland Wine Festival

On Saturday, June 13th one of Michigan's oldest and largest wine festivals takes place from noon to 6 PM in Leland. The day features over 20 wineries and food vendors and music from The Fabulous Horn Dogs. It's a great chance to taste wine and food from Leelanau and kick off the summer.

Thank you to everyone who wore pajamas on Saturday, and even Sunday! Here is the list of winners of the PJ Contest from the 2009 Spring Sip and Savor Event:

Bel Lago's winner for the Most Eye Opening PJs Mary R

Chateau de Leelanau's Most Outrageous winner is Megan Q

Chateau Fontaine's Playboy Mansion winner Gary K, the Bagpiper

Cherry Republic's Most Cherry or Reddest is Jordan M, in the Jordan jersey

Ciccone's Most Awesome 80s winner is Charles U

Gill's Pier Ugliest Flannels winner is Diana W

L Mawby's Most Adorable Couple is Karen and Kirk H

Longview's Best Historical (or in this case Hysterical) Gary V

Silver Leaf's Most Worn winners are Christina B and Jason R

And the BIG winner, with prizes from Good Harbor, Shady Lane, Black Star Farms, and Willow Vineyard, as well as the People's Choice, is Jan R The Lady in the Green Robe!

Congratulations to all of our winners!

Make sure to check out this set of photos of the 2009 Spring Sip and Savor event at the LPVA flickr group.

Paradise Shuttle is offering $25 per person from 5 – 8 on Friday, May 8. That is $10 off the normal rate for wine tours, pick up anywhere in Traverse City – (231) 218-2317

New York Luxury Limos is offering 10% off per person – (231) 935-1933

Wine Country Luxury Limo & Trolley Wine Tours is offering $39 per person with an 11 person minimum, pick up at The Vineyard Inn – (231) 271-VINE

Above The Bay Limousine is offering a 10% discount – (989) 426-7454

Participating wineries are:

• Bel Lago Vineyard & Winery
• Black Star Farms
• Chateau de Leelanau
• Chateau Fontaine
• Cherry Republic Winery
• Ciccone Vineyard & Winery – Will feature an old Hollywood movie theme! Kellie Hammond doing mini-makeovers, movie snacks and more!
• Forty-Five North Vineyard & Winery
• Gill's Pier Vineyard & Winery
• Good Neighbor Organic Vineyard & Winery
• L. Mawby
• Leelanau Wine Cellars
• Shady Lane Cellars
• Silver Leaf Vineyard & Winery
• Tandem Ciders
• Willow Vineyard

Coming up this weekend – May 2&3, 2009. Get all the details and tickets from our Sip & Savor page.